Suits Sisters
by The Mourner Ate Meh
Summary: After one disturbing visit with Alice, Doctor Heironymous asks himself one question: Why doesn't she mention the other suits? Alice tells all to the intrigued doctor.
1. Red Queen

**Hi everyone! Thank you to all those people who took time to read my story, which is just about to get to the third chapter! I'm sorry I haven't updated as quickly as I had wanted to, but school right now is my biggest priority. Not to worry though, I have slowly made progress with my third, and certainly not least chapter, and will be putting it up soon! Just wait! :D**

_3 June 1874_

_I have yet to see Alice today. Ever since the day before yesterday's conversation, my mind has been intrigued with such dreams the last couple of nights…or nightmares it seems. Nurse D had already given Alice's morning dosage, and she should be quite calm. I just hope that I will be able to note even more information on this "Wonderland" which she allows her brain to dwell in._

_Perhaps I could bring up the subject and wish for a somewhat pleasant response._

"Doctor Wilson"

"Yes, one moment." With one last scribble, the doctor placed down his pen and looked over to the old nurse. She raised her brows and said once again, "Doctor Wilson. Alice is asking for you." The doctor winced at the idea of her asking for him, then sighed and nodded. "Err, of course…yes, I will go see what she wants."

The doctor took his time walking through the lit, cream-colored hallways. Sounds of screeching men and women could be heard echoing through dead locked doors, but it was something to be used to. The Rutledge Institute was never for the faint hearted alike, however, the doctor feels that he is anxious lately. He stood in front of the door to Alice's room as Nurse D opened it.

Alice glanced with narrowed eyes and blinked. She was sitting on her bed, which was nicely made. The doctor noticed her hair was slightly dripping, and realized she must have had a bath. He blankly grinned and said, "Good morning Alice." Alice lifted her head, pieces of her hair was in her face as she grinned back quite awkward like the last time. He sat down on a wooden chair and groaned, and clapped his hands on his knees. The doctor sat looking at her, and Alice herself stared back. She did not blink, and when he did, he wrinkled his eyebrows, "…You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Doctor Wilson." Alice said. She tilted her head to the side, "I visited the Rabbit today." She smiled, her teeth were perfectly straight. The doctor kept a blank look, but found his chest softly pounding, as if he thought she would pounce on him and attack. "The Rabbit? You talk of the rabbit which you drew a couple weeks ago, right?"

"Yes…did it please you?"

"Very much, Alice. Your drawings are interesting."

"…Interesting…he is much larger if you see him. Much like the size of you actually."

"The size of me? That is a rather tall rabbit."

"He is well dressed too. Did you like his watch?"

"Ye…" The doctor blinked and gave a surprised look. Alice grinned, digging her fingers into the sides of the bed. He almost laughed, but smirked and said, "Alice, I-ah," she looked away and stared at the yellow wall, and with one hand she began to fidget with her wrist's bandage. Funny how that time when she first cut herself on the wrists was months ago. Ever since then however, Alice fiddles with the stitches and opens the wounds all over again.

He said, "…That one day's conversation? About…Wonderland?" The doctor watched as Alice grinded her teeth, which then snorted and said; "It's not Wonderland anymore."

"No? Why is that?"

"That damned pig…the queen."

"Is she the queen of Wonderland?"

"…The Red Queen…of Heartsland."

"Did she make Wonderland the way it is?"

"YES!! And the bitch will DIE BECAUSE OF IT!"

"Alice, please calm down. Settle down now, all right?" He reached his hands out to her shoulders. Alice began to hyperventilate then calmed when he touched her. _Red Queen,_ he thought. His train of thought tried to imagine the queen, but his mind came back when Alice shoved his hands off her shoulders. The doctor pulled back and saw that she was wiping her face. She was crying as she yelled. The doctor turned to hear knocking on the door. It was Nurse D holding a syringe. He shook his head and turned to see Alice staring at him with wide green eyes. "She killed too many, dear doctor. And she allowed even more to be killed by her wretched minions."

She glared at him fiercely and spoke through gritted teeth, "That's why I must find my way through the land I once loved and that she destroyed." He wrinkled his eyebrows once again, being pulled into her mind. In a way, he felt not only did he need to get into her thoughts, he wanted to as well. "And once you find your way…?" He said with narrowed eyes. Alice lowered her head and smiled. Just then the doctor leaned in to try and hear her voice as she said, "…The Red Queen will die."

At this she jumped out at him and grabbed his dress shirt yelling and screaming at him. "ASSISTANCE NOW! NURSE!" he yelled. Nurse D came in and gripped Alice tightly, wrapping her arms around hers and pulling back. The doctor had slid off the chair and stood up panting. He pushed the screeching Alice onto the bed as Nurse D began to strap her wrists. The doctor yelled over her screaming, "Alice please, you must calm down or else you will hurt yourself! Ali…!" At this Alice spit in his face and stopped yelling, but glared at him furiously. "Doctor!" Nurse D proclaimed. She finished strapping her down and stood behind the doctor, who wiped his cheek and nose with a handkerchief.

No matter how many times she attacks him, every single time he feels himself to be surprised and caught off guard. It's been so many years and yet, she can make him nervous. He looked down at Alice, who seemed to be holding back a laugh. When she did laugh, it echoed in the hallway, which roused other patients to laugh as well. Slightly flustered the doctor turned to Nurse D and muttered, "Another morning dosage." She nodded and took a syringe from her blouse pocket.

In his office, he began to write in his casebook more:

Every time I try to get closer to her world, she seems to see me trying and pushes away. Alice frustrates me at times when I feel my advances are working. Then she proves me wrong. She was given another dosage after I left.

This time she mentioned a queen. Alice cursed her, and felt furious when I tried to make her speak of the woman. A Red Queen. She called her the Red Queen of Heartsland. Could she be talking of the queen of hearts? Is this queen a card-like character? And if that's the case, could the other card suits be involved in Wonderland?

I need to understand Alice and her land if I want to free her of this frightening insanity.

The doctor groaned throwing down his pen and brushed a hand through his salt colored hair. "What is this, Heironymous? Why is it making sense all too well? Alice…today was not the day of progress. But one day, one day I'll get to you and I will understand your dreamlike agony." He scratched his bristled chin and stared down at his casebook, and then at the pen, which was leaking ink over the word insanity. The ink stopped leaking, and sank through the page covering up the letters ity in insanity.

The doctor dazed off then laughed softly to himself. At that, he decided to go home early. Driving home he thought of Alice's face when she spoke of Wonderland. How she cried, as if it was a real place she cared and loved. A real place. _Everything she made in her mind that's in Wonderland is real to her. Even the rabbit. Alice, this is real. Do you know that? Do you understand?_

He made himself dinner and sat down at his wooden table in front of a toasty fire. He stared into it and imagined again of what the Red Queen might look like. He imagined a plump looking old woman. Alice called her a pig before, so she might look like one. He laughed softly at the image, and ate another fork load of food. After dinner he sat on his bed after taking a bath. The doctor looked down at his watch and squinted in the lantern light. It was twelve o'clock. He was irritated with himself. Not sleeping means taking something to help him sleep. He didn't need that, especially when Alice is so close to saying more about Wonderland.

More drugs for him can make him feel off track and distracted from studies and paying attention to Alice. He told himself that he must sleep, and at that he slipped into the freezing cold bed and moved around to warm it up. Closing his eyes, he could see images of Alice's glaring face. He opened his eyes then sighed and closed them again. _Go to sleep, Heironymous. Sleep._

…Stop doddling, Doctor! We must find the Rabbit! Hurry now! Come Heironymous! Off with her head! Heironymous! OFF WITH HER HEAD!

The doctor awoke with cold sweat on his face and neck. His sat up in his bed panting heavily. He had dream about Wonderland, and he saw Alice beckoning him to follow her through the gigantic flowers snapping their razor like teeth at them both. He uncovered himself from his blankets and walked to a large bowl of water he had on his dresser. He scooped some water into his hand and placed his face in it. The water was cold from the freezing weather, and it woke him up and brought him to reality in a way.

After he got dressed and combed his hair, he ate breakfast slowly. Midway through his post eggs he felt like he could gag and threw them away. The doctor drove to the institute's iron gates, and waited for the guards to open them, thinking about the idea of the suits of cards. He blinked and then drove through the opening as one of the guards said good morning to him. He waved back and parked next the main entrance.

Nurse D walked towards him as he approached his office and beckoned him to her. "Doctor, Alice tried to rip open her stitches." The doctor blinked as Nurse D gave him a concerned look. "Did she loose a lot of blood?"

"No I was watching her; it was after her dosage. She had her back turned, and she muttered something." He sighed turning the key he used to unlock his office door. He opened it, walked to the light switch and switched it on. Nurse D followed him to his desk while he asked, "Did you catch what she said?" She concentrated on remembering as the doctor placed his briefcase on the desk and began to open it and take out papers. Then she said, "She said something about a diamond guard. And throwing cards," The doctor stopped in his shuffling through his things and looked up at Nurse D and repeated, "Diamond guard?"

"Yes, but I…I don't understand exactly what that means. Huh! And throwing cards. My word, that must be a frightful bad experience to have your skin cut by cards."

"A deck of cards, possibly…" said the doctor. Nurse D blinked at him and said, "A deck of cards? Like playing cards? Oh my…but still, I don't understand why she ripped open her stitches. I gave her a few more milligrams of the potion though to calm her, Doctor." He nodded and took out his casebook and placed it gently on his desk. "I'll see her shortly. Remove her straps too, I think she'll be calm enough again." Nurse D walked out and down the hall. The doctor opened up the casebook and read a few entries when Nurse D peeked her head in the office and said, "Are you all right, Doctor?"

He looked up and said, "Eh, yes why?"

"You seem, tired…you almost have a dreamy look on your face. Did you sleep well?"

"Ah…sort of, I guess. I had a strange dream last night, that's all. Thank for your concern, though."

At that Nurse D grinned and went down the hall, and didn't come back. The doctor sighed, and thought about the dream. It was too real, it seemed. He remembered how Alice called him by his first name, Heironymous, in the dream. At that he laughed to himself, and realized she didn't know his first name. The dream felt less real, which comforted him. He left his office and walked down the same hallway he walked down for years on end. He heard the same mumbling nonsense from other patients, the screeching from another and laughter from yet another. In his thought, for that small moment, he felt in the pit of his stomach there could be no hope for Alice, even if she conquers over her hate towards the queen.

_No, I must not give up. I have to ask more,_ he thought. He entered Alice's room once more, seeing her drawing on a piece of paper. She licked the side of her mouth like a cat, making it seem she was concentrating on her art. The doctor walked closer to her when she whipped her hand out in front of him and said in a demanding tone, "I am not finished, dear doctor. You'll have to wait there."

"Good morning, Alice."

"Shh…he's sleeping."

"Hm? He?" She rolled her eyes and pointed to her stuffed rabbit doll lying limp next to her. He nodded and walked towards the chair. Alice looked up at him, making sure he wasn't going to look at the drawing. He looked back, and then looked away again. He brought the chair over in front of her, as she colored madly then stopped and sighed. She looked up at him and smirked handing the picture to him. The doctor looked at her wrist, and saw blood had seeped through the gauze slightly. He figured that that was the wound she reopened, and took the picture from her.

Alice watched him turn the piece of parchment around, then smiled wildly as he studied the drawing. The doctor stared at the picture in amazement. It was a picture of what seemed to be the Red Queen. But, it was far from what he had imagined last night. How could Alice hate someone so beautiful and happy looking? And besides, what was stranger was that this picture was unlike the rest Alice has drawn. It was pleasing to the eye, like looking at a picture by Monet. He grinned, looking at every detail. She was a young queen, hair tied back in a tight bun, with jewels shaped like hearts around her neck and on her dress.

It was the Red Queen…but it was confusing. He looked up at Alice, who looked back at him with raised brows, waiting for him say something. "This is…a very beautiful drawing, Alice. You've outdone yourself."

"You mean _she's_ beautiful, right?" He stared at her and said, "…Yes. Ravishing" Alice giggled and folded her hands, "That one's yours then. Since you like it so much." The doctor grinned and nodded thank you, and placed it on the bed where she sat. He looked at her and said, "Alice, I must discuss to you about your accident this morning."

"Yes, yes. With the guard. Damned Diamonds. But they're the least of my worries."

"Diamonds? I suppose you are referring to the suit?"

"…You're catching on, Doctor Wilson. Yes, the guards are of the diamond suit. Nasty buggers too. No matter though, my cards can slice through them faster, and harder. It's the heart guards that I have to watch for, Doctor. They have bomb staffs."

"So they throw cards at you? And they slice through your skin?"

"I like to call it the 52 pickup, but yes. That's how this happened." She pointed to her wrist, which she had wounded a second time. He nodded as Alice shrugged and went on, "Since that, I got into the skool. I saw another diamond guard and got him with a croquet ball! Right in the nose!" She laughed, as if she was playing the actual sport of croquet. The doctor smirked then wrinkled his forehead and said, "You went in a school?"

"No, a skool, Doctor. S K O O L. In there I have to find the ingredients to help me get small."

"Small? How small?"

"I wish to get this small, dear doctor." She almost touched her forefinger to her thumb. He raised his brows and said, "That is quite small, Alice."

"Not really. I need to get small to follow the rabbit so we can get the queen."

"Yes. So the picture you drew for me. That is, the Red Queen?"

"It _was_ her. I never saw her that way, though. Her sister showed me a picture of her a long time ago."

"Wait. A sister?" The doctor realized this was something she was keeping from him, because she frowned and looked at the drawing. "Yes. Her sister the Queen of Spades." He was beginning to be more intrigued with every word at that moment. _So the other suits are involved,_ he thought. But she didn't say much before about them during the days when she just started to talk about Wonderland. "Alice? What's wrong?"

"Many things happened before I came to Wonderland. It's a long tale."

"Could you tell me, Alice?"

"…I…I don't," She clasped her hands to the sides of her forehead and gritted her teeth. The doctor said, "Alice, you don't have to if you're not comfortable."

"No…no, Doctor Wilson. I know what you want." She looked at him from one eye. He said, "…Do you, Alice? What if I'm just curious? I want to hear your story out of plain curiosity. Is that something wrong?" He stared at her, and she glared then said, "All right then. I have to remember. It was so long ago."

"Try to remember. Take it slow if you must."

"Stop babbling, doctor, and I might remember better."

"Alice. Please be more mannered."

"…I will start when Wonderland was separated into four different and equal kingdoms."

"It's one right now, yes? Ruled by the Red Queen?"

"Doctor Wilson. You must be mannered as well and stop interrupting me." At this the doctor smiled at Alice and crossed his leg over the other and leaned back on his chair. Thus, Alice began her story.


	2. Everyone Bloody Hurts

_Wonderland was once separated into four kingdoms, Doctor: Kingdom of Clubs, Kingdom of Hearts, Kingdom of Diamonds, and last and foremost the strongest kingdom, the Kingdom of Spades. They shared the land with equal territory. _

_"And the queens were all sisters?" said the doctor._

_"Yes…quadruplets." Said Alice._

_The kings of the kingdoms were great rulers, with their beloved queens at their sides. Everyone was divine and beautiful, and the queens were quite young back then. The Queen of Spades was strong willed and motherly to her sisters. The Queen of Diamonds was always happy and played tricks on the others. The Queen of Clubs was quiet and shy, but her beauty dominated her weaknesses._

_"So they were people? Not cards?" said the doctor._

_"Of course not. They were people like you or I. Now, to the Queen of Hearts." Proclaimed Alice._

_The Queen of Hearts. She was, how do you say…a tomboy? She felt like the middle child; one who has more power than the weakest, but yet not as much as the Diamond Kingdom. The Queen of Hearts felt jealous and angry towards her sisters the Queens of Diamonds and Spades. His wife's advances worried her husband, the King of Hearts, so he told the other kings of this dilemma. The queen became angrier, and confronted the king. She told him that he was betraying her, by turning her sisters and his brothers against her. The King of Hearts tried to counsel her, however, she had locked herself in her thoughts of becoming more powerful than before._

_More powerful than the king, dear doctor._

_The Queen of Spades decided to pay a visit to the Kingdom of Hearts with her husband watching over their kingdom. She felt that maybe she could get to her sister somehow. I now, do not understand how anyone could. But, she tried and counseled like the King of Hearts had did before. The Queen of Hearts screamed and yelled at her sister, calling her a "power hungry wench", saying she only wanted her kingdom to stay weaker than hers. The Queen of Spades was distraught, and the King of Hearts comforted her. An awfully dreadful mistake. The queen became so jealous, that that night after her sister left, she told her guards that the King of Hearts had gone mad, and demanded that he should be put into isolation!_

_So they did, dragging the king as he yelled out to his wife, who mourned his "madness". She was madder than him, Doctor Wilson, so mad that she decided to treat him as though he were a crazy. The queen kept him in bondage and had guards feed him mush everyday. She would visit him and tell him that everything was well with the kingdom, and that it was his good deeds that kept it the way it was. The king could feel himself becoming lost in her nightmare, and so he aged rapidly, and became small and wrinkled. The queen laughed and laughed, as the kingdom grew dark and a mist came over it. Oh, but she was far from done, Doctor. Her plan was not over, yet._

_The Queen of Clubs became nervous, and hurried to her sister the Queen of Diamonds to stimulate a strategy. They knew their sister would try and attack their kingdoms. The King of Spades announced a secret council between the three kingdoms. They had the council, and decided to wait out and hope that the Queen of Hearts would calm her deadly advances. The Queen of Clubs didn't agree with this plan, and went to go see the Queen of Hearts. She pleaded her to stop her madness, and to release the king. She told her that she was destroying the Kingdom of Hearts. The King of Clubs went to the kingdom bring back his wife to their kingdom. _

_The Queen of Hearts laughed at them as they left, and the King of Clubs told her that she would destroy herself if she continues with her evil plans of ruthless power. The queen only smiled and said that he should not say such things, unless he wanted to see the King of Hearts. That night, the Queen of Clubs slept, as her king stood looking out to his kingdom. A hearts guard beckoned him to see the Queen of Hearts immediately, if he wanted to see his brother, the King of Hearts. He did, leaving his queen to slumber. The Queen of Hearts awaited him in her throne room. He asked where his brother was, pleading her to let him go. She told him lies, saying he was alive and well, and was waiting for him in the bedchamber. _

_Of course, gullible as the king was he followed her to the chamber, only to be seduced by her beauty. During their love- making she slit his throat, and bathed in his blood. She took the remaining of it to her husband and force-fed the blood to him. _

_"Is this too graphic for you, Doctor?" said Alice._

_"Such things don't bother me much." Said the doctor._

_"Of course. How silly of me." Smiled Alice._

_When the Queen of Clubs heard of her husband's murder, she became depressed; so depressed her kingdom became havoc. The Queen of Hearts sent a guard to her kingdom, and he killed the Queen of Clubs. _

The doctor checked his watch, "Two o'clock already?" Alice grinned as he groaned and stretched and said, "I did say it's a long story."

"There is much more, I imagine."

"Yes."

"I can understand why you despise her so, Alice."

"Really? It's much worse than you think." The doctor grinned then stood up. Alice said, "Retiring for today, dear doctor?"

"From your tale, yes. I have much more work to do. We will continue this tomorrow, yes?" Alice nodded as he opened the door. Nurse D came down the hall with a wheelchair with straps. When she saw Alice she said, "Time to go to the garden, young lady." She then rolled the chair in front of Alice and nodded to the doctor. "I'll be in my office, Nurse D."

"Yes, Doctor Wilson." Alice had already sat herself in the chair. Nurse D began to strap her in as the doctor left. Sitting in his office he wrote in his casebook:

4 June 1874

Alice opens up more to me every time I pay visit. I am more confident that I can understand her easily now that I have an idea of how she sees things. Her world, Wonderland, is not just some foreign illusion of what we are frightened by or where we would like to be and how to live; she has created a land that is complex, and almost…perfect, from what I can already imagine.

She now talks of the history of Wonderland, of how this world was made. I was right about the Red Queen. She is the queen of hearts, and in Wonderland her sisters were the queens of the other three suits. Alice talks of the four kingdoms, and how the Red Queen destroys them one by one. The details of this are violent. I would have never imagined a young girl could see such violent encounters, such as bathing in your victim's blood as Alice puts it.

However, she has gone through so much torment years ago, this is only the beginning, I'm afraid. Alice's demented tales must not surprise me as this story is told.

The doctor pursed his lips and placed his pen on the desk. He left his office once more, walking and turning in the halls. He found himself in the garden, and looked at the flowers curiously. The doctor smirked, brushing his fingers over a rose's petals. He wondered how Alice sees the flowers here. Does she react to them like she does with the flowers in Wonderland? He walked around the trees, and found himself looking at Nurse D. She glanced at him and walked over. "Where is she?" the doctor asked.

"In the gazebo. I can't get her to just enjoying the scenery; her and those pencils and paper."

"Well, at least she can breathe some fresh air. I love it here. It's a relief from the building every once in a while."

"Yes, yes. Alice gives me the excuse for coming out here almost everyday." Nurse D laughed.

"…Does she look at the flowers?"

"Does Alice…now that you mention it, I've never seen her really look at them at all. Could it remind her of something? Maybe her parents?"

"…Or Wonderland?"

"Wonderland? You mean her dream world? What could that have to do with flowers?"

"So many things. Remember the picture of the forest?"

"Yes. I remember."

"The flowers in that picture, according to Alice, are supposed to be over twenty feet high."

"My word. Twenty feet high? That is quite a strange sight!"

"Well, they would seem that tall…if you were smaller than a normal sized flower. And I imagine frightful if they were flesh eating flowers."

"Where did you get that awful idea, Doctor?"

"From what I've been trying to tell you! This is all a part of Wonderland. She sees these horrifying things, with card guards chasing her to her death. It's all so demented and horrific, yet…intriguing all in the same." The doctor sighed turning away from her while rubbing his chin. He said, "Alice lost her parents in a fire. Could you imagine that? Just being one room away from being able to save your only family from being burnt to death and yet you can't? All you have to do is turn a doorknob and yet you can't! It was just one simple task, but she couldn't do it.

"…I think Wonderland is now Alice's Hell because of her parent's death. Because she talks about Wonderland not being this way before. Something changed it, something caused everything…to go wrong."

"Possibly…possibly she feels it's her fault. Her parent's death." Said Nurse D.

"Possibly. But what about Wonderland? It was the Red Queen who twisted Wonderland around."

"I don't understand how you can try to understand this world of hers." Said Nurse D. The doctor walked up to her and said through gritted teeth, "Because it is my _job _to understand!" Nurse D jumped, and looked down. The doctor sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so flustered with every part of her. But, if I fail to help her, I fail myself." He rubbed the back of his neck as Nurse D crossed her arms watching him. She then put her hand on his back and said, "Go talk to her." He looked through the leaves of the trees and saw the top of the gazebo. He walked to it and saw Alice drawing once again.

The doctor stepped up the stair of the gazebo and walked in front of her and grinned, "So we meet again." Alice looked up at him with a discontent look, "Must you stand there, old man? I need light to see what I'm doing." He moved from blocking the light, ignoring her rudeness. He looked out from the gazebo to see Nurse D watching them. He also saw a jasmine vine. The doctor picked off a flower from it and sat on the white bench beside Alice. Holding it out to her he said, "This is a jasmine flower, Alice." She stopped drawing and hesitantly looked up at his hand holding the flower. She studied it and winced in disgust.

"Disgusting, flowers are."

"Why?"

"They're everywhere for one thing. And they watch your every move."

"But these ones smell nice, Alice."

"Do they? I bet they do, until you stick your face in their petals and they bite your head off!" At this the doctor laughed softly and said, "I would imagine they would if you were smaller than them. But this one is so small; it wouldn't even nibble on your finger. Here." He held out the flower closer to her. Alice narrowed her eyes then slowly, she took the flower. "…Smell it." Said the doctor. She lowered her nose to the flower then jerked it back, but then tried again. Alice sniffed, and surprisingly smirked. She looked at him and said, "Jasmine…my mother used to have jasmine oil." The doctor felt an excitement arise in his chest, but listened. Alice continued in a dreamy voice, "I remember walking into her powder room and inhaling the pure smell of jasmine."

The doctor grinned, but it soon faded as he watched Alice. She dropped the flower on her small table, and began to frown. Alice pursed her lips tightly then showing gritted teeth she began ripping a part the flower with her fingernails, cursing at it. The doctor stood up watching as she did so. She then began to cry out, louder and louder she screamed when the doctor began to move the small table away from her. She cursed him as well, and tried to snatch one of her pencils, but he took hold of her wrist and tried to open her fist.

Her hand was in an iron grip as he pried at Alice's fingers to uncurl from the sharp pencil. Her nails digging into her palms caused her to bleed as he finally got her to let go. He jerked back, holding the pencil like a knife, his eyes wide with surprise. Alice was panting, and then looked up at the doctor. She glared at him, then looked into the distance. Her face began to lose expression, but her eyes remained open; Alice had gone into one of her comas. The doctor knelt down in front of her, studying her face. Nurse D watched him then said, "She's gone again. I swear, she does it because she wears herself out from all that screaming…Doctor?"

The doctor stared at Alice, still kneeling there. He watched her eyes, and then noticed something strange about them. He moved in closer to her face, and saw that her eyes were moving very rapidly. "…My god."

"What is it?"

"It…it looks as if she's going through rapid-eye movement."

"Rapid-eye movement? But that happens when you have a dream."

"Exactly. She must be daydreaming. I don't think she went into a coma."

He stared at Alice's green eyes, watching them move from left to right, up and down, and in circles. He stood up and walked down the stairs, allowing Nurse D to observe as well. Walking back into the building, he stopped by his office. The doctor went to his desk and grabbed his casebook. Opening it he let loose most of the pictures that Alice had drawn. He put the casebook onto his desk and looked at the picture of the Red Queen once more. The doctor stared at it for a moment, then glanced out his window to see Nurse D wheeling Alice inside. He sighed, noticing how she looked like she did when Alice first came here nine years ago: lifeless.

After a few minutes of gazing at the garden, Nurse D knocked on the door. The doctor turned while Nurse D said, "She's rambling on again as well. She seems to be talking to her rabbit, but I don't understand what she's saying."

"Hm…yes, the rabbit. Alice has been paying much attention to it for the last couple of days. I'm thinking of removing it once more for the night." Nurse D winced and replied, "And I have to stay for a surgery tonight. The screams will be disrupting."

"A new patient?"

"Yes. Another young woman, in fact. She watched her father shoot her brother to death."

"Dreadful! Maybe I could see her later tomorrow?"

"That would be fine, Doctor. But get some sleep before you come in." The doctor smiled then began to pick up the drawings as Nurse D left. _Another young woman. Maybe I could have her and Alice meet tomorrow as well. _Once he had finished cleaning his desk, he checked his watch and went to his other patient's appointment.

"_Alice…Alice! ALICE!"_

_Alice jerked up her head; she had been sleeping on the dirt ground. She looked about her to see tall grass blades, and the hissing of beetle's wings above her. In front of her was the Rabbit. As scrawny as he was, it made Alice smile to see him. The Rabbit yelled again, "Alice! Wake up, child! Don't doddle! The Duchess is almost near!"_

_Alice smiled; her green eyes brightened in frenzy and said in her madness, "Yes…I can smell her." She stood up and dusted off her already bloody apron. She loved that apron, and picking at the red stains she shrugged. "…Now where did I put it? Where is…ah!" Alice picked up a lovely grayish croquet mallet halfway buried in the dirt. She too dusted it off making the demented flamingo-like mallet sneeze. Alice hit its beak to hush it and followed the Rabbit in his distant tracks._

_It seemed quite a while before Alice reached the river. The croquet mallet began to mutter about the fish in the river being a rotten flavor. "If you don't clamp your beak shut, I will stick your head in the river, so they might see how rotten you taste as well." Alice said. The mallet gulped and snapped at her face. She ignored it, and bent over the water. Alice saw her reflection: pale and anorexic as it was, she tucked her brown hair behind her ear and blew a kiss at herself. A giant leaf floated on the water and passed her. She jumped on it, and it carried her past the dirt hills._

_Alice sighed out of boredom, looking at the flowers that spat at her presence. She in return threw a croquet ball and killed a few, just for game. She then held up the mallet, face to hers and said, "Tsk tsk…too bad for the old hag, right my love?" Alice petted the thin feathers of the mallet's head. The mallet nuzzled her cheek as she continued, "She will die, along with the Red Queen. It'll be fun! Yes, you want to kill them too, don't you…" she tickled the flamingo's chin then flicked it's eyeball, making it screech in pain. Alice looked in the distance in disgust, swinging the mallet in circles. She hummed as it screamed for her to stop. _

_Soon the leaf stopped at a dirt path, on which Alice jumped on to. She examined her surroundings; everything was deadly silent. Then, from the path came a clicking sound, and it became louder with every second. Alice grinned holding up her mallet. A croquet ball surging with electricity dropped in her hand. She said, "Bring on your soldiers, you filthy despicable cow!" At that a soldier ant appeared around the corner of a grass blade and shot his musket at Alice. _

_She laughed madly as it missed her, swinging her mallet and hitting the croquet ball towards the giant ant. The ball hit him, sending him to the ground electrocuted with convulsions. Alice groaned then hit the insect once more, making it splatter its slime on the path._

_"Ugh, disgusting. That was quite rude, don't you think?" she said to the mallet. The mallet nodded rambling nonsense in return. Alice picked up her skirt and tip toed over the dead ant's remaining, then walked onward. More ants appeared, and she did to them to what she did to the first, but in the end it seemed the mallet was enjoying it more than Alice was. When all of the soldiers were dead, Alice sighed in relief, and then paused, staring at her mallet. The mallet was laughing hysterically, apparently from its achievements of killing the ants._

_Alice gaped at it, and her eye began to twitch as she said, "…Will you quite silence yourself you dirty old bird! I was the one wielding you! You would've done piss if you were alone!" the bird stopped laughing, and went limp with depression from Alice's criticism. She moaned loudly from annoyance, and dragged the mallet behind her towards the entrance to the Duchess' lair. _

_Entering, Alice sniffed the air like a cat searching for food. She wrinkled her nose, smelling decaying bodies from inside. "Ah…the Duchess is feeding now. What a wonderful time to join her, yes?" Alice smiled as she entered the main dining room. It was empty, but you could smell blood in the air, and rotting flesh. Screams could also be heard, which made Alice giggle slightly, thinking of how the Duchess would scream in agony when she would kill her. _

_Alice looked around, but something caught her sight. It was an old tattered box, just sitting on the table. She smirked, walking closer and seeing it was not just an old box. "A jack in the box?" she muttered. She dropped her mallet, which squeaked from doing so. Alice bent over the table and slowly, touched the box with a hand. In an instant, she found herself no longer in the Duchess' dining room, but in a rather charming outside sitting room. Everything was black and white; the floor was white marble with black veins, the curtains black with white satin rope holding them open to see a landscape of black and white._

_She knew where she was when she noticed the garden labyrinth, and the magnificent flags overhead that bared the symbol of the Spades. Alice was in the Kingdom of Spades. She turned around to see a woman in a black and white dress. Her eyes and hair were black as well. "Your Majesty." Bowed Alice. The Queen of Spades smiled softly, and timidly asked, "Join me for tea, sweet Alice?" Alice smirked and followed the queen to an iron table, twisted and bent to have spade symbols everywhere on its surface and a fancy teapot with two teacups waiting for them. Alice sat down on a black and white wooden chair with leather seating, as the queen sat opposite of her._

_Alice grabbed the pot of tea in her hand and poured into each teacup as the queen began to talk. "…You have been gone a while, dear child."_

"_It's amazing anyone cares about me being gone, but yes, I have. How are you, Your Majesty?"_

"_I am here." She smiled and continued, "The king has fallen ill, I'm afraid." Alice shook her head slowly and sipped her tea. The queen nodded and said, "Yes. I'll be damned before my sister gets to him too. I've lost too many people I loved."_

"_So have I, Your Majesty and I know exactly how you feel. I am almost halfway through the Red Queen's minions and I will not stop until I have my revenge."_

"…_So you will, my love. But you must not become selfish in your defeats. That is what my sister feeds on now a days." Alice nodded in agreement, then glanced outside. It was cold, and she could feel the Red Queen's odious grip taking the kingdom. Alice felt saddened, almost seeing this beautiful land turning into that wretched woman's wasteland. She looked back at the queen, who was watching her. The queen said in a soft voice, "Look at you, sweet Alice. So skinny and weak looking."_

_Alice looked startled as the queen spoke again, "I can see your cheekbones in the fire's shadow. And yet…" the queen smiled and reached out stroking Alice's cheek. "It is your good will that keeps you invincible." Alice smirked grabbing the queen's hand in hers and said, "I will bring this torment to an end. The king will get better, and you will not suffer anymore, I promise."_

"_Then you carry the strength of us both. The king, he does not fall ill because of our kingdom; he is not strong willed like I am. I know my sister, and I know how she can kill you with her mind tricks. My husband went…mad, I suppose from the never- ending voices in his head. So mad, he collapsed from his trying to rip his skull in half it seemed!_

"_I nurse him because I have no nurse. I protect him because my guards have betrayed me for bloody madness. My dear husband, my love, he cannot comfort me when I comfort him through his chaotic suffering." Alice stared at her as she stood up and began to close the monstrous black curtains. The queen said, "But I believe we can't dwell on the things that we can't do. Or things and loved ones we feel we have wronged in this world. Especially now when my sister is trying to rule it." Alice giggled then stood up as well. _

"_My sincere apologies, my Queen, but I must go."_

"_Oh, I should be sorry; I was the one who kept you here."_

"_Trust me, Your Majesty. Here is where I would want to be, always."_

"_Is that so, my love? Take care, sweet Alice. I feel we may meet yet again."_

"_Goodbye, Your Majesty."_

_Alice's body felt like it floated in air as she found herself landing on the sticky floor inside the Duchess' room. She felt revived all of the sudden, and thought it was the tea that the Queen of Spades had given her to drink. She then blinked and saw the jack in the box still waiting there on the table. With a wicked smile she snatched it into her arms and at the same time flung to the other side of the room from an explosion coming from the fireplace._

_There, in from of the fireplace, stood an old, wrinkled humongous woman. She was quite unattractive as well, but that made it more enjoyable for Alice. The Duchess held in her hand a pepper- shaker, which she sneezed from. She stared at Alice and said, "WHAT A LOOOVELY MORSEL! PERHAPS AN APPETIZER BUT YOU WILL DO!" she then licked her lips with blood tinted drool dripping down her chin. Alice rolled her eyes and yelled, "Do you ever shut your mouth, you old bag! Let's get this over with already!!" the Duchess laughed hysterically shaking the pepper in Alice's direction. _

_The tiny morsels struck Alice's arm like small throwing daggers. She yelped in pain, and glared furiously at the large woman. At that, she ran towards the Duchess and flung the jack in the box at her. The top flung open and the box landed in front of the Duchess. She stopped in surprise as the jack sprung out with high pitched laughter echoing through the room. The jack then stopped and smiled at the Duchess as Alice waved at her from thirty feet away as she broke out into flames. The Duchess yelled in horrifying pain while Alice laughed like she was watching a clown doing a trick._

_Alice proclaimed, "What a lovely device!" at this the Cheshire Cat appeared behind her. She turned around to see what the cat had to say, while the Duchess tried to put herself out. The Cheshire Cat murmured, "I knew you would get a rise from the Jackbomb."_

"_You left it there?"_

"_Actually that is a gift from a friend of ours."_

"_A friend? Certainly not the Rabbit."_

"…_If you use your brain maybe you could figure out who I'm talking about." Alice gave him a sarcastic glare. The cat smiled wickedly and disappeared. Alice thought for a moment, but paused; the Duchess had stopped screaming. She turned around to see the Duchess' wrinkled face and screamed. "WHAT A DELICIOUS PIECE OF MEAT!" said the Duchess as she picked up Alice. Alice kept on screaming for her to let her go, but it was too late as the Duchess bit into her arm. She howled then saw the Jackbomb in her other arm, and threw it in the woman's face. The Jackbomb let loose its fire, which made the Duchess let go of the skinny girl._

_Alice dropped to the floor but immediately stood up. The Duchess flung about her arms as her face caught on fire. Once the Jackbomb disappeared, Alice smiled; the Duchess was now blinded. The woman moaned in pain slowly staggering across the room, swinging her arms about trying to grab Alice. Smiling, Alice pulled out her most favorite toy of all: the butcher knife. Alice hummed, wiping it with her apron, stepping aside so that the Duchess hit the wall instead of her. Finished polishing the knife, Alice walked behind her, jumped on her back, and began to stab her repeatedly._

_The Duchess screamed, failing to snatch Alice from her blood stained back. Alice gritted her teeth, stabbing harder every time. Once she could feel the convulsions, Alice stuck the butcher knife in her neck and twisted it around inside, making the Duchess gag in her blood. The woman stopped in her tracks, twitching from each twisting movement the knife made in her neck, falling to her knees, and finally falling to her face, dead. Alice panted, pulling out the knife with a groan, and laid on the ground beside the large corpse. "Bloody Hell, woman…I think I'm more worn out than you are. Grand sport, old crone." With that she patted the Duchess' back and stood up. She walked over to the Jackbomb and picked it up saying, "I love using toys while fooling around." _

_Alice then proceeded to pick up her mallet as well, and skipped out of the lair humming once again. Once outside she saw the Rabbit. He was hyperventilating, as usual, looking at his watch then at Alice. "Damn it all to Hell! Why are you late, Alice?!"_

"_I was fooling around with the Duchess. You should've joined in, old chap!"_

"_Yes, yes…hilarious. The Cheshire Cat was right about one thing! You've picked up an attitude!"_

"_I find it more as… a new outlook on life."_

"………_I rest my case. NOW COME ON WE'RE LATE!!"_

"_All right then! Don't piss in your trousers!" said Alice as she followed the Rabbit. She looked up at the sky to see all the bugs gathering above them. "That's odd." Murmured Alice. She followed the Rabbit, not really paying attention to him yelling or screaming at her as she wondered off to look up at the sky. The Rabbit screamed again, "ALICE! ARE YOU DEAF?!" Alice, at that point was getting rather irritated, then trotted up to the Rabbit yelling, "What in bloody Hell is going on? Are YOU blind?!" At that she sensed a shadow falling over them and turned away from the Rabbit to look about her._

_Before she could process the monstrous being above her, her entire body vibrated from a blow to the ground. Her body was lifted from the air, and was brought to her face, stunned. With a mouth full of dirt, Alice winced and groaned pushing herself up. After standing she spat out the dirt which now was mud sticking to the roof of her mouth. She coughed and swayed slightly but caught her balance. "Jesus…What in…Rabbit?" Alice turned and spun to gaze at her surroundings, searching for her scrawny rabbit friend._

"_Rabbit? Rabbit?!" Alice began to panic, feeling the pain of fear arising in her chest. She looked down, and saw the Rabbit squashed. He was nothing but crunched bones, pasty gut remainings and a puddle of blood. Alice gaped at the sight; she knelt down, placing a hand on the blood, which spread. Soon, Alice herself was surrounded in the puddle and squeezed her hands together in a furious rage. "RABBIT!"_

"RABBIT!! AAAAAAAH!!" Alice's screams pierced through the door, which held her in her room, and through the hallways. Again and again, should would not cease her shrieking. Nurse D sighed, thinking of when the Doctor took the rabbit doll from Alice earlier that night, and how he had to snatch it while she slept and practically sprint out of the room afterwards. She looked down at the girl on the stretch, asleep and being sewn together again by a doctor. She looked at the doctor, who pricked and stabbed the needle through the young woman's skin.

"More thread, Nurse." Said the doctor, obviously referring to Nurse D. Nurse D looked up and then with her hands unwound a long line of thread and cut it with scissors. The doctor snatched it and began his process once more. Nurse D looked down at the girl again, studying the cuts everywhere on the front part of her body. There were round burn marks on her neck and arms, most likely from a cigar. The veins in her eyes were erupted from her trying to hang herself, but was caught by family member who was in the house and was forced down.

Nurse D tilted her head, and wondered how exactly Alice would react to the girl. The young woman was quite pretty and petite, although her red hair could have a wash. It seemed it was even redder than it looked, like a blazing red. Nurse D glanced at half open, and lifeless blue eyes with blood stained whites. They seemed lifeless, like some of the patients who come to the Institute. She raised her brows and cleared her throat, awaiting the doctor to finish, trying not to cringe from the blood curdling cries of Alice.


End file.
